Head Games
by VegasGirl09
Summary: "It must've been the concussion because she could've sworn the crow was talking to her" Prompt for the CSI FO March 2016 Fan Fic Challenge.
The sun beat down on the dusty field where Julie Finlay lay on the ground, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers as she struggled to sit up from the dirt.

"Jules, don't move," a voice was telling her.

But stubborn Julie Finlay could not sit still. She reached out with trembling hands to try and pull herself out of the hot earth beneath her but another pair of hands forced her to stay lying down.

"This is stupid," she snarled "I'm _fine_ "

Fine was never the correct statement from the relentlessly energetic CSI. The team had gathered at the local baseball field in one of the gorgeous parks Vegas had to offer to practice for the upcoming game against VICE. As usual, Julie had taken the lead in running the bases and getting the most hits.

On the last attempt at a home run however, the over confident and ultra competitive Finlay had taken a dive at home plate only to collide head first with the returning baseball thrown by Henry who apologized profusely for the poor throw and bad timing.

All would have been well had it not been for the over zealous tossing aside of her protective helmet in a previous base run, leaving her fragile post coma head vulnerable to flying baseballs. Hence the crowd that was now surrounding her as she lay in the dirt feeling foolish.

Unfamiliar voices were speaking above her suddenly; lifting her head gently from the ground and laying it back down on something soft.

"Ma'am," the voice spoke "we're medics from the fire department, can you tell me your name?"

"Julie Finlay," she said feeling stupid.

"What day is it?" the medic asked.

"March twentieth," she recited robotically.

"Can you tell me where you are?" another stupid question.

"Vegas," she replied getting annoyed now.

The medic flashed a bright light in her eyes making her turn her head away in annoyance and sigh in frustration.

"She's alert and responsive," the medic said "but we want to take her to Desert Palm to be checked out, she might have a concussion"

"No," Julie immediately protested "I'm fine, let me go."

She attempted to sit up again, but suddenly felt the whole earth spin rapidly around her, the faces of her co workers and teammates melted into blurry blobs.

"Whoa," she said "you guys look weird."

She reached out with her hands trying to grab at them as if they were 3D effects in a movie. Russell looked worriedly at the medics and at everyone around him.

"Does she have family you can call?" one of the medics asked.

"Sort of," Russell said

"John," Morgan immediately piped up "he should know what happened."

"He's all the way in D.C," Sara reminded her.

"Call him anyways," Russell said "I'll ride with her to the hospital and make sure she's o.k."

With reluctance, the rest of the team dispersed to gather up their belongings as Julie was lifted into the ambulance, Russell following after she was settled in securely. One medic drove while the other watched over Julie.

"Ma'am, are you in pain?" he asked noting a large bruise on the side of her head.

"A little," Julie admitted raising her hand to touch the aching spot.

"Can you give her something?" Russell asked.

"Not until she's seen a doctor," the medic said "if it is a concussion, medicine will put her to sleep and we don't want that."

Russell agreed as they pulled to a stop outside the hospital.

Julie sighed in frustration upon seeing the place, recalling her last few visits here.

"I hate this place," she lashed out to Russell.

"I know," he soothed "but they take head injuries seriously Jules, and since your coma-

"Coma?" the medic interjected now "she was in a coma?"

"Last year," Russell said "The Gig- someone attacked her, hit her head multiple times, the coma lasted a month and a half."

The medic looked even more concerned now as he and his partner wheeled Julie into the E.R.

"What's wrong?" Julie asked looking at Russell meekly.

"Nothing," he tried to assure her, sinking down beside her "their gonna get the doctor."

"Is it bad?" Julie asked; panic beginning to rise in her chest.

"Just relax Jules," Russell said trying to keep her calm.

As expected the coma had prompted the medics to alert Julie's previous doctor, Dr. King, who was on call and by her bedside within minutes. She shooed Russell out as she yanked the privacy curtains closed so she could examine Julie better. Russell paced outside the curtained off room anxiously as minutes ticked by. When the curtains were yanked back again and Dr. King was eyeing him sternly, he felt nervous.

"How did this happen?" she demanded of him.

"Baseball practice," Russell admitted guiltily "is she going to be okay?"

"Yes," Dr. King says "but she has a concussion, I want her kept over night for observation."

She continued to eye him as if this was somehow his fault. Yet he was allowed to stay with Julie while Dr. King left to fill out her admission paper work.

"I _really_ hate this place," Julie said again, piercing him with a sad look and keeping a hand resting on her aching head.

In less than an hour, which was unusual for hospital time, Julie had her own room. Sara and Morgan had retrieved clean clothes from her condo to replace the dusty baseball uniform she had arrived in. Now she was sitting up in bed but cringing in pain. Dr. King allowed mild pain killers for her, not wanting her to be completely sedated by anything too strong, as she needed to be watched for signs of cognitive changes. Russell stayed with Julie wanting to be sure she was okay, no matter how much she insisted that he go home.

 _Two Hours Later_

"Man, I love this place," she declared boldly of the hospital room she occupied "it's so beautiful."

She waved her hands, gesturing to the small room, the windows and the floor.

"Jules," a voice spoke to her "take it easy."

She turned in search of the source of the voice and found it, a crow perched at the end of her bed. It must've been the concussion because she could've sworn the crow was talking to her.

"Shoo," she said waving clumsily at the bird which morphed into Russell who was eyeing her with concern.

"Oh D.B it's you," she sighed grinning at him happily "why didn't you stop that crow?"

Russell stared at her, confused by her apparent delusion. He paged Dr. King who responded immediately.

"She's seeing stuff," he explained worriedly "a crow she said, and she's just, really weird right now."

Dr. King looked at Julie and her dosage of pain medicine that had been administered hours prior.

"What's up Doc?" Julie said dissolving into giggles at her pun.

Dr. King ignored her and said to Russell "They gave her a slightly stronger dose than I asked; she'll be fine now that I adjusted it."

"Are you sure?" Russell asked as Julie used the TV remote like a sword.

"Yes," Dr. King said "give it some time, she's gotta come down from it."

She left and Russell was stuck with Julie Finlay, high.

"D.B look," Julie said pointing up at the ceiling randomly "birds, aren't they pretty?"

"Yes Jules," he said humoring her.

"How did they get here?" she asked of him innocently.

"I don't know Jules," he said shaking his head.

"Can we keep them?" she asked like a child.

"Sure Jules," he said trying to hide his smile but knowing this wasn't supposed to be funny.

Drug addled Julie Finlay was better than coma Julie Finlay, he knew. But as the drugs took their time to leave her system, she continued on her silly rants and delusions.

"D.B I have to go," she told him "I have to build my boat tonight or the fairies won't be able to find it."

He had no response for that one. He just grinned as she played with the only thing to occupy her racing mind, the TV remote, making it into a magic wand now and reciting spells from Harry Potter at him.

"Ha, now you're a horse," she declared, giggling at how she had "transformed" him.

She kept giggling as she lay back in bed, her head feeling numb. The numbness spread through her arms and legs and she had to grab at them to be sure they were still there.

"You know what we should do?" she asked, eyes wide with excitement "go swimming."

"Right now?" he challenged her.

She nodded slowly but with such a serious demeanor he couldn't help but laugh.

"Boy the guys will love this when I tell them," he said hoping that threat of revealing her embarrassing rants might get her to settle down.

It didn't. By nightfall she was mumbling about making soup and taking a hike tomorrow. Russell remained by her side as she was slowly coming down from her high. He was about to see if the nurses could bring her some food when a rustling at the door made him look up.

John had arrived. Sara must have been able to call him after all.

"Hey how is she?" he asked upon seeing Julie lying in bed.

"See for yourself," Russell said nodding at the bed.

John sank down into it and called out "Hey sweetness," to Julie.

"Hi," she sighed as she reached out to touch his face and say "you're so beautiful."

John looked at Russell, confused. But he just stood up and said "Good luck kid," as he vacated the room in search of coffee.


End file.
